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BLACKPOOL AND
SOUTHPORT
During the past week
the Avro pilots at Blackpool have been kept busy, and we understand
that the ten thousandth passenger was taken up, which is remarkable
considering that the flying there did not start until the middle of
May.
There has been no
accident during the period, with the exception of one machine which
landed in the sea, owing to the high-tension lead dropping off; the
Avro motto of "Safety First," which is painted on large notice
boards all round the aerodrome,being well maintained. So confident
are the public nowadays that they turn up for flights in any
weather—rain, blow or hail—whereas when the show started, they
would not look at a machine if there were the semblance of a
wind.
Several days last week
regular passenger flying was carried out in winds of between,30 and
40 m.p.h. One day the wind was so strong that it lifted several
machines 5 ft. from their sandbag moorings on the beach. Several
five-seater machines, fitted with 160 h.p. BR.1 engines are now in
commission.
Southport is proving a
good second to Blackpool, and among the passengers taken up was the
Mayor, Alderman J. Wood, who enjoyed looping and spinning. Quite
half the passengers have been ladies, and six of them have asked to
be allowed to go through a course of lessons. One man arrived at
Southport a few days ago about 9 p.m.—when it was blowing a gale
and the clouds were low—and offered £200 for a flight to the Isle
of Man, explaining that he wanted to give his wife a
surprise.
Flight and Aircraft
Engineer, 7th August, 1919
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An AVRO Aircraft flying over South Pier,
Blackpool, 1919.
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BLACKPOOL AND
SOUTHPORT
THE
five-seater Avros signified their arrival at
Blackpool by setting up new records last week,
nearly 500 passengers being flown in one day by
three pilots—some flying!
The
holiday crowds have now arrived, and evince the
keenest interest in the performance of the
aeroplanes. Thousands throng the beach all day long
looking for the day when flights will be 5s.
each.
Last
Saturday flying at Southport continued until 10
p.m., and even then there were a few more couples
anxious to book a trip in the moonlight.
Flight and Aircraft
Engineer, 14th August, 1919
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FREE FLIGHTS FOR LOCAL
RESIDENTS.
A
hundred and fifty flights have been booked with
Messrs. A. V. Roe & Co., of South Shore, by
Boots, the chemists, and these flights will be free
to customers at the local branches. The flights
will take place from August 19th to 23rd inclusive
(weather permitting).
The
scheme arranged is that during the whole of the
week commencing Monday next every purchaser of
goods to the value of 1s. at any of the local
branches of Boots, the chemists, will receive a
flight application form. The customer will fill in
his or her name and address, and return the form to
the shop. After business hours thirty forms will be
picked by ballot each day and the holders notified
that they are eligible for a free flight the
following day.
The
Mayor of Blackpool (Ald. Parkinson, M.P.) will draw
the first thirty, and the subsequent selections
will be made by the Deputy Mayor (Ald. Collins).
Coun. T. Masheter, Dr. Carr, and Mr. J. B. Calkeld.
Each day twenty flights will be allocated to the
customers of the two Blackpool branches and the
remaining ten to the customers of the St. Annes and
Fleetwood branches.
If the
flight cannot be made on the day arranged another
date will be selected and the ticket-holder
notified. If the person selected does not desire a
flight the opportunity may be passed on to a friend
who desires one. The selections will be made each
day at the Blackpool Winter Gardens, and announced
from the stage of the Empress Ballroom.
The
flights will take place from the. Avro Aerodrome at
South Shore.
St.Annes Express 15th August
1919
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An AVRO Aircraft flying over the Star Inn, South Shore,
Blackpool, 1919.
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THE AVRO
BLACKPOOL-MANCHESTER SERVICE
THE daily return air service between Blackpool,
Southport and Manchester, carried out during the summer by
Messrs. A. V. Roe and Co.,
Ltd., has now come to an end. Of the 222 flights scheduled, 194 were carried out, the
other 28 being prevented by"
weather conditions. The number of miles flown was 8,730.
The service was started on May 24, three and a
half weeks after civil flying
was legalised in Great Britain. It was the
first daily service by air to
be instituted in this country and to be mentioned in railway guides. It
was in every way a
pioneer undertaking, for when it was commenced the
general public still had the
impression that flying was a dangerous undertaking only indulged in by
extremely venturesome spirits. Outside the R.A.F. there were no
records of a daily air
service to guide the Avro company in organising
such an undertaking. Yet the
service ran for 18½ weeks with no interruption except through bad
weather on 14 days.
We are
informed that there were no mishaps of any sort,
not even a simple forced
landing.
Before long the pilots grew so
familiar with the route that they could find their way through weather which
would have baffled a
stranger.
Punctually at noon each day at least one Avro
left the sands at South Shore,
Blackpool, and headed for Southport, which was reached at 12.15 p.m. At 12.45 the
machine would descend at
Alexandra Park, Manchester. The return flight started from this aerodrome at 2 p.m. The
fare was five guineas for a
single, nine for a return ticket.
By degrees the service became popular, and before
long it was
paying its way. No passengers ever suggested that
good value had not been
received for his or her money— and the shrewd people of Lancashire are
authorities on what constitutes good value. On the contrary,
one and all were delighted, andmany expressed the opinion
that aerial transport had come to stay, as being the quickest and
most enjoyable method of
getting from town to town.
Whatever the Post Office may think, the people of
Lancashire have no doubts as
to the reliability of an air
service carried out by Avro
aeroplanes, backed by sound organisation
and good pilots.
Flight and Aircraft Engineer, 23rd October,
1919
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